Year of the Spark: October 20
by Sparky Army
Summary: Not only can I not lie but I can't seem to keep the truth in my head. The Year of the Spark continues.


_We, the Sparky Army, decree 2008 to be the Year of the Spark. We pledge to post a new sparky story or chapter of a sparky story every day from January 1, 2008 to December 31, 2008. Though the Powers that Be have removed Elizabeth Weir from the regular cast of Stargate Atlantis, we feel that she remains an integral part of the show, and that the relationship between her and John Sheppard is too obvious to be ignored. We hope that you, and anyone might happen to read these works, agree._

_And if that isn't official enough for you, we don't know what is. Seriously, guys, we're just trying to have some fun--and show TPTB that Sparky is the way to go. So sit back and enjoy the 366 stories coming your way!_

Authors Note (Hannah554): Again with the fluff, at least this one has a plot to it. I hope you enjoy.

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**Truth Be Told**

_By Hannah554_

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me," John stated a little loudly as the team stood in the gate room. Along with Elizabeth they had just returned from a very successful negotiation with a new race. Teyla smiled, that calm, all knowing smile that only she could manage without looking smug.

"I am not," she replied unfazed by the four glares she was receiving.

"And you didn't think to warn us?" Rodney questioned in a slightly high pitched voice as unhappy with the situation as John was.

"You did not ask, besides, the Vari believe that truth is a gift, one they give to new allies and trade partners, it would have been an insult to them had you not accepted," Teyla informed them and John was a little in awe of her calmness, she'd drunk that celebratory drink.

"Teyla, you should have warned us," Elizabeth stated "How long do the effects take to wear off?"

"It is different for different people, usually between 12 to 24 hours and I apologise if you feel I should have warned you," Teyla replied still unfazed. "But perhaps some good will come of this."

Teyla walked out of the gate room nodding to Elizabeth's order to head to the infirmary. That Athosian was getting a little too cocky and there was far too much meaning in that last statement for John's liking. The group headed to the infirmary to be poked and prodded by Carson and the nurses for the best part of an hour. Everyone complained with honesty about how much they disliked the infirmary and the post mission physicals they were forced to endure.

"You're all fine," Carson announced.

"Apart from the fact that not only can I not lie, I can't seem to keep the truth in my head," John replied bitterly. He'd told a few too many truths in the last half an hour and he was determined to hide himself away until this whole thing was over.

"Aye apart from that but it doesn't seem to be doing any harm," Carson informed them all and John looked at him incredulously.

"Physical harm maybe, Rodney made that poor new scientist cry on the way down here," John stated sarcastically, making a mental note to check up on the woman tomorrow when there was less chance he'd say anything to make the situation worse.

"I didn't mean to," Rodney defended. "It's not my fault she's incompetent and she was unlucky enough to run into me during the few hours when I can't lie to her about it."

"She's just a kid McKay," Ronon chimed in.

"And that has what to do with it, I was a genius by that age," Rodney stated, this complete honesty thing was going to start causing problems... more problems.

"Can I please go hide in my room before I say something I'll regret?" John questioned hopefully and Carson nodded.

"Aye, you're all free to find a hiding place," he told them grinning, this was probably hilarious to any outsiders that weren't on the receiving end of some brutal truths. Carson had been in the room with them for an hour and apart from having to endure complaints about his profession and the amount of needles they had to have; no one had said a single mean thing about him.

"Carson you're too nice for your own good," John stated. "Damn it, I didn't mean to say that."

* * *

He'd been hiding in his room for three hours when the radio came to life calling him to the labs. He reluctantly forced himself to leave his room and hurried through the corridors not stopping to talk to anyone. In fact he kept his head down, taking a great amount of interest in the floor and wincing when he caught sight of passing marine out of the corner of his eye, informing the young man that he was a scruff and if he didn't start taking just a little pride in his appearance he was getting his ass shipped back to earth.

"Sorry," he called behind him, adding him to the list of people he'd need to see when this damn drink wore off.

Arriving in the labs he found Rodney and Elizabeth, the former was walking around the lab checking various pieces of equipment being brutally honest about the incompetency of his staff. Elizabeth was standing in the corner, biting her lips so hard it would probably bleed and trying to keep her eyes glued to the wall.

"What's going on?" John questioned "And Rodney quit being an arrogant prick... sorry."

"Oh that's fine; you should have heard what Elizabeth called me," Rodney replied in annoyance and John raised an eyebrow at Elizabeth who shrugged and went back to biting her lip. "Anyway, these incompetent idiots accidentally knocked one of these devices over in a bid to play dominos which ended up with six pieces of very valuable ancient technology on the floor."

"So, you've picked them up, why am I here?" John asked, casting a quick glance at Elizabeth who was being unusually silent. "Elizabeth, stop biting your lip you're gonna hurt yourself."

Elizabeth looked a little surprised but stopped attacking her lip and John prayed that whatever Rodney was going to complain about wouldn't take long, he needed to go back to hiding.

"Because one of the devices was activated and Lieutenant Riley over there is stuck speaking Ancient, she doesn't even know ancient," Rodney informed him gesturing to the woman sat in the corner looking very unhappy.

"Is this like the time General O'Neill...?" John began but Rodney cut him off.

"Elizabeth already asked me that, the answer is no, there's no evidence that she's had all the knowledge of the Ancients downloaded into her brain, something that was wasted on the General," Rodney began and John looked at him in shock as he continued. "She's just speaking their language but she's unable to speak English. Now while you were taking your time getting here I ran a few quick tests and it looks like the device is still active but I have no idea how to turn it off."

"Isn't there an off switch?" John asked, it was a stupid question but once it was in his head it was already vocalised.

"Don't you think I thought of that, no there is not an off switch," Rodney replied. "I'm running some more tests now.

"I'll have Radek come and assist you, at least he won't make the other scientists cry," Elizabeth told him and then shook her head and left the room. John quickly followed after, telling Rodney to play nice as he left.

"Off all the days," Elizabeth muttered to herself as she and John walked down the corridor.

"Rodney will fix it, I'm gonna go back to hiding in my room," John told her and Elizabeth looked at him. "I know, I know, I should stick around to make sure, by the way, you look exhausted you need to sleep more... as true as that is I had no intention of actually saying it."

"This is driving me crazy, I can't keep a single thought inside my head, I've spent the last twenty minutes worrying about what I might say to people," Elizabeth stated and John nodded.

"Yeah, I wasn't particularly nice to one of the marines on the way here," John said with a grimace, Elizabeth smiled slightly and John cursed because he could already feel his next thought making its way from his head to his mouth. "You have a very pretty smile you know, I spend way too much time staring at it."

Elizabeth stopped walking and stared at him in shock for a moment as John tried not to blush and damn it, where was the nearest door?

"I absolutely did not mean to say that," he stated barely breathing.

"I didn't think you did and stop blushing would you I find it incredibly cute," Elizabeth ordered and the closed her eyes with a pained look on her face. There was an awkward silence then and John struggled to find a thought, any thought to fill it. Typical, he hadn't been able to shut up since he got back to Atlantis and now when he needed to say something there was nothing. "I'm gonna go back to my room now before I say something really, really stupid."

He had no idea why he did it, why he didn't take his chance to run away and hide. "Like what?"

"Like how much of my time I spend thinking about you," Elizabeth stated and then looked like she wanted to kill him and then die herself. "John," she exclaimed her voice somewhere between shocked and scolding.

"That was not entirely my fault," he defended, his hands in the air. "I thought the question and then there it was."

"If I didn't love you so much I'd kill you," Elizabeth stated and John felt his entire body freeze, saw Elizabeth's do the same. "Right, I'm really gonna go now," she said after a moment of silence and then turned around to leave.

"Actually I think we should finish this conversation," John decided and Elizabeth turned back to him.

"You know as well as I do that we can't," she replied and John shrugged.

"Why not?"

Elizabeth opened her mouth to say something, probably whatever lies she'd been trying to convince herself of for who knew how long but thanks to that drink she couldn't actually say them. "I don't have any real reasons... I hate that drink."

"I'm just beginning to like it," John told her stepping closer, not even caring that someone could walk past them.

"John..." Elizabeth began warningly but he ignored her, stepping into her personal space more than he had ever done before. He gave her enough of a chance to back away, to push him away, to stop him somehow but she didn't take it and he used that as permission, lowering his lips to hers. He kissed her, barely touching her lips with his and had they not been in the middle of the corridor he would have done so much more than that.

"I told you so," John heard Teyla say and turned to see Ronon and Teyla walking down the corridor toward the lab where Rodney was probably still upsetting people.

"I knew she was up to something," John stated, glaring after the young Athosian. "I guess she was right though."

"How's that?" Elizabeth asked.

"Something good did come of this."


End file.
